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GOG.com sale highlights 30 games from the past 30 years
A new promotion at GOG is bringing 30 games from the past 30 years into the spotlight. A rotating carousel of discounted games will be offered, one at a time – as more people purchase the highlighted deal, it gets more time as a featured game. GOG users can also vote to cut or add a second to each deal's promotion time. Discounts can reach as high as 90% and sale prices can go as low as $0.59. Before this post was published, we saw a bundle of the first three Space Quest games offered up for $2.99. The sale started with Zork Anthology, a six-game collection of the classic text-adventure series, for $1.79. Once GOG has gone through all 30 deals, the sale will end. If you're interested in checking out what's available, point your browser over to GOG.com and get comfortable. There's no telling how long each game will be featured. Image: GOG
Activision PC games on sale on GOG.com this weekend
GOG.com is holding a sizable sale on Activision properties this weekend. While the official number of discounted games is 32, the sale features a number of multi-game packs in series like Quest for Glory, King's Quest, Police Quest and Space Quest for $3.99 each, bringing the grand total of games included in the sale to 55. Other deals for the weekend include Phantasmagoria ($3.99) and Phantasmagoria 2 ($2.39), the three games in the Gabriel Knight trilogy for $2.39 each as well as Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura for $2.39. The entire sale comes to $97.28, which the digital retailer says can save players $146.60 on all 55 games. GOG.com's sale is good until Tuesday, November 12.
Chaos Theory: An adventure game is you!
I grew up on adventure games before I even knew they were called "adventure games." One of my earliest memories of a friend's computer was playing Adventure. Following that, I was hooked. Maniac Mansion. King's Quest. Zork. Planetfall. Leisure Suit Larry. Space Quest. The Secret of Monkey Island. Sam and Max Hit the Road. Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis. Myst. Gabriel Knight. Syberia. The Longest Journey. Back to the Future. The Walking Dead. I've never stopped loving the fun of exploring these worlds, "earning" the next page of the story, and finding out all of the bizarre ways I could die. However, at some point in the '90s, games journalists apparently decided that "adventure games were dead." It's something we started hearing a lot of, especially in comparison to all of the fancy new graphics, gameplay features, and fast-paced shooters. Adventure games were seen as a relic of a time when computers couldn't process heavy graphic loads and players were a lot more patient. I never bought into the "adventure games are dead" mindset. I see them coming back like crazy these days, especially on tablets and mobile devices. And lo and behold, Funcom did something that I would have never thought possible: The studio made an MMO out of an adventure game. That's The Secret World, if you weren't following along.
Two Guys from Andromeda open Spaceventure store
If you missed out on all of the sweet pre-ordering and swag action of the Spaceventure Kickstarter, the Two Guys from Andromeda have you covered. The Spaceventure store is now open for business, offering protagonist Ace Hardway as a collectible card for $15, or on a shirt for $30. Also available is a pilot-wings pin from side character Chuck Y'egger for $15 and a pre-order of Spaceventure, the full game, also for $15.Spaceventure is coming to PC, Mac, Linux, iPad and Android tablets. The Two Guys from Andromeda, if you'll recall, designed Sierra's Space Quest series, which gave them the street cred to raise $540,000 on Kickstarter last year, all for Spaceventure.
Space Quest creators reunite for new 'Spaceventure'
Scott Murphy and Mark Crowe, the "Two Guys from Andromeda" responsible for the classic Space Quest series of Sierra On-Line adventure games have reunited and are hard at work creating a new Spaceventure™ game.While details are slim at the moment, the new title is said to incorporate the "same style of comedy, wonder and excellence you expect from a Two Guys adventure," according to the duo's new site. The pair also recognize how much has changed in game design and distribution since Space Quest: The Sarien Encounter released in 1986: "The way games are made and gotten into a player's home has changed greatly ... We are adapting to the changes, taking advantage of them and charting our own course through space and looking forward to finding that 'new game smell.'"The Two Guys From Andromeda are also hiring for the project, and while many positions have already been filled, they still have openings for a 3D Character Artist, Senior Game Developer and Sound Designer.Perhaps most surprisingly of all, we've yet to find any mention of a Kickstarter anywhere.[Thanks, P.C.!]
Space (and other) Quests half off on GOG this weekend
If you grew up on the LucasArts side of the adventure game turf wars, you missed out on some really wonderful Sierra stuff -- specifically, the Space Quest series; a consistently funny, wonderfully designed set of sci-fi adventure games.GOG just happens to have them on sale this weekend for 50% off, so you can get the entire series for ten bucks. Other Sierra adventure game packs are marked down too, including King's Quest and Police Quest. Those are fine, but they lack a certain something. There are no pet facehuggers, for example.
The Game Archaeologist and the What Ifs: Middle-earth Online
I had so much fun walking down the halls of "What if?" last week that I thought I'd keep the streak going for the rest of the month (if you'll allow for some summertime indulgence). It's not that I necessarily wanted MMO history to turn out differently than it did, but it's always tantalizing to wonder what the field would look like with different games out there. Would they have proven more popular than our current crops? Would they have pushed the envelope of innovation? Of course, it's easy to project greatness onto never-released titles, bemoaning that "if only MMO X had launched, we would've had the perfect game!" What ifs are interesting but should never be taken as absolute fact. This week I wanted to look at a project that's related to an MMO near and dear to my heart. As most of you know, I'm somewhat of a Lord of the Rings Online nut here at Massively. Sure, the rest of the staff is upset that I smoke pipeweed inside and never wear shoes, but that's just how far I go to understand the game. But even my LotRO isn't immune to a massive what if. Known to some but not to all, Turbine wasn't the first MMO studio to take a crack at Tolkien's license -- no, for that we have to travel back to 1998 and revisit Sierra On-Line. It was this company that had a brief but memorable run designing Middle-earth Online, aka "What if LotRO had permadeath?" It's a fascinating glimpse into an entirely different approach to the IP, and even though it died a fairly early death, it's important to be remembered. Frodo lives!
Space Quest and other Sierra collections on sale at GOG
Your weekend itinerary has just been officially cleared by Good Old Games. Your new task? Buy and complete all six of Sierra's delightful Space Quest games. Each pack of three is on sale for $6.99, 30% off the usual price. You can also get King's Quest or Police Quest collections for the same price, but we suggest going through those only after you've experienced the epic space opera of interstellar janitor Roger Wilco, full of thrilling action, spacefaring adventure, time travel, cowardly hiding, and floor waxing.
Adventure game portal Sarien back with Activision's approval
In a lengthy post on the personal blog of Martin Kool, proprietor of the recently cease-and-desisted Sierra adventure game portal Sarien.net, the lengthy history of the site's development was recounted. We assumed said history would end with the site's closure earlier this week -- but luckily, it looks like a new chapter is set to unfold, as Activision has given Sarien approval to continue running, albeit in a limited fashion. Kool explained, "Activision proposed to officially authorize Sarien.net to publish the first game of any series in its multiplayer HTML5 form." The portal will include a link from each of these free-to-play first chapters to the series' full collections on Steam. The publisher also demanded that the iPad versions of the titles be removed, on the off chance that they ever decide to drop their own adventure game Apps. Seems like a pretty reasonable response from Activision -- especially when compared to most publishers' policy of "Hey, that's ours, cut that out right away, young man."
Old Sierra On-Line games now available on iPad via the Web
Get ready to lose your weekend. As we reported it would a while back, Sarien.net is now offering up a whole slew of old Sierra On-Line games, playable through your iPad's web browser for free. The first three King's Quest games, the first two Police Quest games, and even a Leisure Suit Larry title are all online and available. Sarien.net even allows for multiplayer within these old games, so you might see some other players in there while you're wandering around trying to solve puzzles. For those of us who grew up or cut our gaming teeth on these Sierra titles, this is kind of a goldmine. Sarien, a.k.a. Martin Kool, hasn't received a cease-and-desist from Activision yet, but he has received some kudos from some of the original games' creators. Hopefully that will be enough to keep Activision's legal team at bay, at least until they get these games on the iPad officially. Don't let that stop you from enjoying these games while they're up and available to play -- I just gave King's Quest another shot, and it's weird to go back and play a game where actual death is around every corner. [via TouchArcade]
Space Quest pack for $10 on GoG
Think about how much it would cost you to embark on a quest into space. First, you've gotta build a ship (or, at the very least, secure the services of one Billy Bob Thornton). Then you have to fill, like, 80 baggies or so with Cheerios, probably pack a juice box or seven and get yourself a space suit. It's not cheap. That's why we'd like to bring the latest deal from digital distribution hub, GoG.com, to your attention. The Space Quest 1 + 2 + 3 pack -- a bundle of classic Sierra adventures Space Quest, Space Quest 2 and Space Quest 3 -- is now available for $10. Look, we're not trying to force you to buy this game bundle or anything, but you should really buy this game bundle. Seriously, do you know how much of Billy Bob Thornton's time $10 will get you? Maybe day at most if he doesn't really have much to do and doesn't mind hanging out. Oh, and these games won't get all drunk and break stuff either.
Phantasmagoria, Space Quest games now on GoG
[SpaceQuest.net] Have you had a Time Ripping adventure lately? Or an interactive nightmare? If you're eager to experience either (and you are), GoG's latest Month of Activision offerings are for you. The online classic games store is offering some of Sierra's best adventure game classics, and also Phantasmagoria. For just $9.99, you could be playing Space Quest IV, V, and VI, sci-fi adventure games starring everyone's favorite space janitor, Roger Wilco. Or, if your tastes run spookier, you can put your ten dollars toward Phantasmagoria, the horror game written by King's Quest creator Roberta Williams, starring some video clips.
Space Quest and King's Quest Collections join Steam, with other Sierra titles
> CHECK CALENDAR Your Hot Men of Activision calendar reveals that it's July ... 2009, of course. And wow, that Bobby Kotick must work out. > PINCH CHEEK You pinch your cheek so hard, you bruise it. Hey, that almost looks like facial hair, Mr. Manly Man! > DOWNLOAD CLASSIC SIERRA GAMES OFF OF STEAM What do you think this is? The 90s? Go shoot some space marines like a real man. At least, that's how this scene would've played out only yesterday. While adventure games are seemingly in the middle of a resurgence in popularity – thanks in large part to LucasArts classics making their way to places like Steam and Xbox Live Arcade – the availability of Sierra's classic adventure games has been a slightly more complicated affair. Of course, they became the property of Activision Blizzard following last year's mega-merger wherein Activision had its sights set squarely on profit, not nostalgia. In fact, when asked explicitly about the Sierra classics, an Activision rep told us: "We are retaining only those franchises that are a strong fit with our long-term strategy ... We will not publish any other titles that previously were part of the Vivendi Games portfolio and we are currently reviewing our options regarding those titles." Well, that review is apparently over and, after what we can only imagine was a great amount of deliberation – "can we make a rhythm game out of it?" – the "King's Quest Collection" and "Space Quest Collection" both find themselves on Steam for the more-than-fair price of $20 for each set ($15 if you buy before July 30). We could tell you about Aces of the Galaxy, TimeShift, and 3D Ultra Minigolf Adventures – other Sierra back-catalog titles that are hitting the service today – but we really want to save our last paragraph for one very special message: GIVE US THE QUEST FOR GLORY GAMES. That is all. [Thanks, Jason] Source – Activision Expands Catalog with Space Quest, King's Quest and More Source – King's Quest Collection Source – Space Quest Collection
Play classic Sierra adventures for free -- with multiplayer
Hopefully this gets to you before the inevitable cease-and-desist: right now, a site called Sarien (named after the antagonists in the original Space Quest) is offering a selection of vintage Sierra adventure games, playable right in your browser. If you've never known Leisure Suit Larry to be anything but a terrible minigame collection, you can check out the real game here, along with Police Quest, The Black Cauldron, and the first two wonderful Space Quest games.As if a free, simple interface for enjoying these games weren't enough, Sarien adds a bizarre twist: (optional) multiplayer. When you go into a game, you'll be surrounded by identical avatars, all playing their own adventures. You can watch them explore and type commands (that's right, typing), or you can provide tips to your fellow players. It can be pretty disorienting to adventure game fans (and creators) but once you get used to the crowd, it's an interesting variation on these old games.[Via What They Play, Offworld]
See screens, video from canceled 3D Space Quest *platformer*
He's defeated Sariens, foiled Sludge Vohaul and even uncovered a sinister plot by ScumSoft. Still, after all of that, little has been heard from mop-wielding hero Roger Wilco, star of Sierra's venerable Space Quest series, in well over a decade. And judging by images and a video posted by game designer Brett Johnson of a canceled seventh game in the franchise, it's a good thing.The long-rumored sequel looked to sweep its PC roots under the rug, trading pointing and clicking for running and jumping as a 3D platformer for the PlayStation 2 and original Xbox. In fact, the game, which was being helmed by developer Escape Factory, bore little resemblance at all to the Space Quest that series fans had grown to love. Still, it's somewhat interesting to look at the Space Quest game that might have been, but like the Labion Terror Beast, it's best appreciated from a distance.[Via superannuation]
DS Daily: Adventurous at heart
With the latest from Lucasarts leaving fans of the adventure genre who also happen to own a DS in a state of sadness, we're left wondering why nobody fails to see the potential here. But, such a discussion is one not aimed at this particular daily topic (and, quite honestly, tipped in one favor). You see, we were wondering a bit about your most favorite adventure titles.Eventually, we could see something in the way of these classic titles on the handheld, whether it come from the homebrew community or a reputable company with a long history of titles, so we would like to know what you'd want on your handheld? What are you favorite adventure titles? What would you like to play again on the DS?
Classic Sierra adventure games re-released
Point and click adventure gamers rejoice! If you've been struggling to (legally) complete your collection of Sierra classics, Vivendi Universal is finally ready to give you just such a chance. They are releasing "compilations" of King's Quest, Space Quest, Police Quest, and Leisure Suit Larry, available March 30th through Amazon, Target, and who knows where else.There is almost no other information about the compilations, except that they run on Windows XP. Have they been ported or are they running through an emulation layer like Sarien? Does the compilation include all the games in the respective series? At $20 each, this could be a great way to build that collection. Then they'll just need to release Gabriel Knight and Quest for Glory... then maybe LucasArts will get in on it...[Via digg]Read - King's Quest CompilationRead - Space Quest CompilationRead - Police Quest CompilationRead - Leisure Suit Larry Compilation
